Crutchy
by Chewy2
Summary: My little story about *crutchy* my love! lol, its short, only one chapter


Disclaimer: I don't own newsies, or any charecters....blah blah blah  
  
Might as well tell you who i am, for thoose of you who dont know me. The names Kloppman and my job is to run the lodging house, for the Manhatten newsies. As such I know all of the boys quite well. Im only going to tell you one story though. Its about a young newsie who loved all and was loved by everyone. That newsie was Crutchy.  
  
It was raining outside, and might have as well been inside too, it sure felt like it. I remember the night so clearley, which is very suprizing for a man of my age. It was right after a young man named Jack Kelly led all of the newsies on strike. That boy never stops untill he gets what he wants, and in this case he got what he wanted and more. He freed the newsies in the refuge, including Crutchy and sent Snyder to jail. Anyways you know all about that, im only here to tell you about what happened after the strike.  
  
It was about a week after that the trouble started. None of us new what was wrong with Crutchy,all we knew was that he was crippled at birth and his immune system was weak. Well anyways it was a cold day, and a very cold night. Crutchy was on his way back to the lodging house from his new sellin spot, bottle alley, when the Delancy's struck. There was something about thoose two, they never liked anyone. They beat him up pretty bad, and might have killed him if Race wouldn't have gone out and found them. He carried crutchy back to the lodging house, but no doctors were able to get on duty. we looked after him all night, and gave him all of the blankets we could find. I don't know one person, (besides the Delancy's) who wouldn't have given Crutchy the shirt off there backs. I was one of thoose people.  
  
The next morning Crutchy finally came back to life out of his unconcious state. He kept telling us he had to get out and make a living, but we wouldn't let him out of that lodging house for at least another week, he was already weak, and when he is weak, his immune system gets weaker. He snuck out the fire escape though, and got his papes. He sold them, but knew he couldn't come back to the lodging house that night or we would have his head, so he started towards brooklyn. He got on the bridge, but then his leg gave out. He toppled over to the side of it and sat there for a minute, but then the Delancy's, who had been following him saw there opporitunity. They picked him up, despite his protests and threw him over the bridge. Spot, who heared his cry's ran over from an alley he had been soaking some scab in. He dived in the water to get him, and ran back to the lodging house with him in his arms. I was at the dor, and didn't even bother with the curfiew rule, i just ran up the stairs after them. We put Crutchy on a bed, and once again covered him with blankets. He still had bruises from the previous nights soaking, and he was shivering the hardest i have ever seen someone shiver in my life. I did't even think he would last the night, but he did. Jack headed out in the morning and found a doctor. None of the newsies sold papers that day, they stood by Crutchy's side. The doctor came about ten minutes later, and told them there was nothing he could do. He would be dead by nightfall. Crutchy, who was only half consious said he wanted to die in his own bed. Mush offered to carry him, but Crutchy had a strong reply of, "Hey, I don't want no one carrying me"  
  
I was almost in tears, watching him hobble over to his own bunk, than he collapsed. He just fell over into his bunk. We all knew he would not wake up this time. It was the only time in my life i had ever seen the Brooklyn leader cry. The tears just ran down his face, and he didn't even care. Jack was no different, nor mush, kid blink, or race. Itey, and Swifty couldn't take it no longer and burst out into sobs. All of the newsies just broke down, and soon i had too. The newt morning out of respect we hung his crutchy on the wall so we would never forget him, and we wouldn't.  
  
About three months later a young girl about ten came and asked if anyone had seen a yound wan names Christopher Morris, I fell over, and Jack had to tell her his sad story. Turns out she was his sister. She's now a newsie with us, named Moonlight. Im pained looking at her ofen, for she has the same kindness, and forgiving heart as her brother crutchy, i can only hope to god she wont die the same painful death. 


End file.
